Nirodbaran

Correspondence with Sri Aurobindo

Second Series

2. Art and Literature

Poetic Inspiration and Yoga

I am sending you a poem. Do you find it good? Even if it is so, where does my credit lie after so much correction? The credit is all yours.

Your credit lies in the substance which could not realise its possibilities because of your damnable errors in rhythm. It was good poetry in substance but spoiled by errors of form. What the hell do you mean by trying trochees like

Ĭn whóse | gíldĕd | shácklĕs I we laugh | and weep,

Ĭntŏ | ă prŏfoúnd | stíllnĕss | of lone | sky-heights,

or worst of all

The fí|nite fór | one bríef | móment | climbs.

Do you think you are adult enough yet for such Hitlerian violences to English metre?

Do you find in my piece some influence of your poem Rishi which I read a few days ago?

It may be there, but I did not find it. The only result was a greater elevation and strength in the poetic speech. No objection can be made to an influence like that. It is imitation and reproduction that are objectionable.

04.04.1936